That’s one way to celebrate Christmas.
From here:
Bishop issues new lockdown ministry guidelines for the city’s parishes
POSTED DECEMBER 15, 2020Effective December 15, Bishop Susan Bell has suspended all permissions to re-open for in-person worship previously granted to parishes within the City of Hamilton in accordance with the Amber Stage of the ecclesiastical province’s re-opening framework.
“While we have continued confidence in our pandemic protocols, this decision is being made as a sacrificial witness to the wider community that now is a time to stay at home for the love of our neighbours and in order to protect the most vulnerable in our communities,” wrote Archdeacon Bill Mous, diocesan executive officer, in an email message to clergy and lay leaders.
Considering that most Diocese of Niagara churches are half empty at the best of times, I doubt that the “wider community” will even notice this “sacrificial witness”.
Bishop Susan Bell has made another sacrifice: she sacrificed common sense, freedom of choice and freedom of religion on the altar of the god of the age by signing a petition to end gay conversion therapy. At least the diocese is consistent: it opposes converting anyone to anything, including Christianity.
Dear Mr. Jenkins, Once again, thank you for proclaiming the truth. Even though what you tell is indeed very sad, you do it so well that one gives thanks for it. Indeed, you inspire us to increase our prayer for the human side of Our Lord’s Church. Lord Jesus, have mercy. Lord Jesus, come quickly and save us. Sincerely In Christ Jesus, Larry Clarence Lewis, Ontario, Canada.
Because of the current global pandemic and limited in-person attendance from time to time, my wife and I have discovered online worship, e.g. All Saints’, Springfield, Missouri, All Souls’, Langham Place, London, U.K., At. Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney, NSW, St. Mark’s, Darling Point, NSW, as well as Hillsong Worship Praise Songs, etc. Of course, online worship is not ideal; it is not the same as in-person public worship. It may promote consumerism. But people who never or seldom attend their church can view their service online. Also, the online worship can be available for playback at any time. God is not limited in what He does; He can use online worship to achieve His own purpose. Indeed, online worship does not invalidate our worship, lessen the impact of God’s Word, or hinder our prayers. The preaching of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ continues in the midst of the pandemic and beyond. The God who sees the past, the present, and the future at a single moment are in the midst of us.
The pandemic is not going away anytime soon: place not your trust in vaccines, which will roll out very slowly, even assuming that they are as effective as advertised. What if the pandemic stretches on for a year or two or more? Should churches stay closed indefinitely? That’s where this perverse logic leads. Yes, we need to create a maximum level of safety by implementing a robust set of protective measures and precautions (e.g., heath checks, masks, physical distancing, ventilation, hand-sanitizer, you-name-it), but completely shutting down the churches is unsustainable, unnecessary and prioritizes a small reduction in risk to the body over a large risk of damage to the soul. The Bishop fails to take seriously the Scripture’s teaching that the spiritual community of the church is essential for our spiritual well-being. There are dozens of “one another” commandments that are best fulfilled, or in some cases, are only fulfilled, when we’re together. See: https://www.challies.com/articles/one-another-the-bible-community/
We are living in a very challenging time. To me, normality means when I no longer need to phone the church office to book my seat before Sunday. Also, normality means when I can kiss and hug all our grandchildren.
According to the American conservative site (www.gotquestions.org), the Church is the people of God. So, no one can shut down the Church. A building may sit empty, but the Church can still be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
Agreed. However, “From [Christ] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16). The difficulty of perpetually suspending in-person church gatherings is that it interferes with the interactive process of building each other up as “each part does its work.” Watching livestreamed services is no substitute for the Body’s interactivity.